Print your own Rosetta comet

by AprilSix Proof

The European space agency (ESA) has released a detailed model for the shape of Comet 67P / Churyumov-Gerasimenko – the target comet for the Rosetta mission.

Rosetta’s lander, Philae, will aim to land on the surface of this ball of ice on 12 November. If it does this successfully, it would be a historic first for space exploration.

Rosetta has been flying around 67P since August taking detailed images of the comet. The shape model released by the agency provides some more definitive physical parameters for 67P. By releasing the data files to the public, it also means that anyone with access to the necessary software and a 3D printer can now turn out a desktop depiction of the most famous comet in the Solar System.

To find out more, read the original story from the BBC and the release from ESA